‘Knocked Up’s’ Charlyne Yi to Shake Up ‘House’

What Charlyne Yi does is beyond performance. She’s the lively, emotionality-addicted spirit of Andy Kaufman reconstituted into an undeniably lovable, excruciatingly discomforting twenty-five year-old young actress/comedian/musician. Both in scripted roles and during talk show interviews, Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up, Paper Heart) is always working in some way to make the audiences feel something… from overwhelming joy to, often, drastic uneasiness. And it’s all brilliant. And now, she’s bringing her talents to a show where a shakeup of the status quo should be quite welcome: House.

House is known for being formulaic; Charlyne Yi is known for being anything but. When combined, the result is unpredictable. But it’s likely that Yi, as a new doctor working under Greg House, will stir the pot and toss a new challenge towards Hugh Laurie’s unflappable hero.

I think putting Charlyne Yi into brief roles should become a television staple. Rather, a television regiment. Charlyne Yi should show up in scenes of How I Met Your Mother, The Bachelorette, Cake Boss, Yo Gabba Gabba, and 60 Minutes. The status quo must be disturbed. Long live Charlyne Yi.